Group, I am sending this out to determine interest in having S scale tractors available. There are three items of interest, which might be fabricated by SierraWest Scale Models, if there is enough interest. The first two items are already in SierraWest Scale Models’s inventory in HO and O scales; that would be the Best Sixty tractor and the Hyster logging arch. The cost in S scale would likely be in between the HO and O scale cost, so about $60 for the tractor and $50 for the logging arch. ITEM 3 is to convert a 1943 Japanese Komatsu bulldozer to a Caterpillar Diesel 50 with the LaPlant-Choate hydraulic blade (kit produced 2010). I bought the kit from HobbyLinc for about $15. https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/32565/index.html I put a 1:64 ruler to my kit and found the tracks measure about 16” wide and the length of the tracks on the ground is about 87” which equals the dimensions shown for a Cat D5 (1967 – 1977) on TractorData. https://www.tractordata.com/industrial-tractors/000/5/9/598-caterpillar-d5.html That's the closest I could find dimension data for. At some point, Backwoods Miniatures (BWM) produced the following conversion kits for this Tamiya model. http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/0n3kits.htm Scroll down about ¼ to 1/3 on the page and you’ll find the item. Here is the description from BWM's website. “NEW! CABLE DOZER and DETAILED ENGINE Conversion for Tamiya's 1/48 scale Japanese Dozer kit. Here's a useful set of pro-moulded resin parts to 'back date' Tamiya's Dozer kit which has a hydraulic blade. Our kit includes parts for the Cable Blade conversion as well as new hoodless bodyside mouldings with open engine compartment to show off the pre-assembled engine also provided. This kit is perfect for hauling our crawler-tracked trailers. Kit costs £24 plus postage, including our seated driver figure.” The one I think is the easiest and closest conversion is the Diesel fifty with LaPlant-Choate blade. Caterpillar (1925-1949) https://classicdozers.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/img_9171.jpg A modeler could use the kit to convert the dozer to either an older cable-pull blade or just change out the engine and keep the LaPlant-Choate hydraulic blade. BWM closed up in 2016. However, Brett might be able to bring this kit back to market if there is enough interest. Price TBD. Therefore, respond to me directly at rjlee_77019@... if you are interested. -- Richard J Lee Tacoma, WA

Be Part Of The Next Layout Tour (So. Calif.) [Please do not hit “Reply”. Contact me directly.] Model Railroads of Southern California’s next layout tour will be Saturday, February 15. The tour area will be Burbank and the surround cities. Railroads in any scale plus garden railroads are welcome to participate. I would like you to consider participating in the tour. Participating in a layout tour is a great way to share your work and meet your fellow model railroaders. You’ve probably worked hard on your railroad so you might as well get some recognition from people who will appreciate your efforts. All you need to do is operate your trains. I will do all the planning and publicity, as I have done for sixty-four previously tours since 2006, including tours for the NMRA national convention (Anaheim), the National Narrow Gauge Convention (Pasadena), the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society, the Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society and several PCR and PSR regional conventions. The tour is self-guided (No busses) and free. If you have any questions before committing to the tour, please ask. In any event, please contact me directly in the next several weeks if you are interested so we can add your railroad to the tour. Once you have been added to the tour, I will contact you to establish the hours that work best for you. Thank you. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California https://www.facebook.com/groups/150347595443 chiefbobbb@... [chiefbobbb At verizon DOT net]

Not sure how many folks here are also into computers or home automation. HomeAssistant is an open home automation platform so there are a lot of integrations for it. Someone posted on Reddit about integrating his LionChief BLE into it for Christmas. I assume FlyerChief is similar or the same. Posting here in case anyone is interested. https://www.reddit.com/r/homeassistant/comments/1h4lpz5/connecting_a_lionel_lionchief_engine_to_home/

----- Original Message ----- From: Corbin Bates via groups.io <corbinbates@...> Hello everyone this is an inquiry from American Models. We are thinking about bringing back the Five Car Spine Car set, but we need to replace some of the missing tooling. We would like to hear from you on your interest in buying these as it is a big investment for us. > > > > > > > > > I’m glad to see that American Models is consideing resurrecting this car. I like modern/contemporary railroading, especially intermodal. And while it has been pointed out that 40 foot semi-trailers are long-gone in the real world, it can be a stand-in for a more modern spine car. I don’t know if they’re considering the 3-unit cars also, but their Conrail 3-unit spine car was of course a foobie, Conrail never having had a blue spine car of any length. And to get our terminology right, the individual sections of an articulated spine car are not "cars." Call them sections or platforms or units, but the whole thing is just one car, it’s not a not a five-car car. As noted, ability to carry longer trailers would up-date it a little. I don’t think 48 foot trailers will fit, but 45s will, and they can be stand-ins for 48 footers. Where to get them? I believe there are a lot of 40 and 45-foot semi-trailers out there in the collector and toy vehicle world. We are definitely not restricted to AM’s trailers. My favourite source of 45 foot trailers is MTH. Long before they officially got involved in S Gauge, I discovered that the trailers they were putting on their RailKing (=O27) TOCF flatcars were perfectly acceptable 45 foot S scale trailers, and they fit on all known S scale TOFC flat cars including the spine cars. Lionel trailers are useable, but a poor substitute, being about 44 S scale feet long, and noticeably too wide. Also out there in the real world – and in HO – spine cars sometimes carry containers directly on the car, not on a container chassis. Remove the trailer hitch and add some container pedestals, and you’re in. A-Line made some adapters for doing this with HO spine cars. Good luck to American Models with this. A little modern, or even semi-modern, product will be a benefit to the scale. Tom Hawley – Lansing Mich

Good day: I am trying to maximize trackage in a limited amount of space on some hi-rail modules. What is the minimum cl to cl spacing for a couple of mainline tracks, that will avoid problems with engine or rolling stock “hangover” of the adjacent track at curves and turnouts? The latter will all be original AF although some turnouts will be modified. We’ll be running all sorts of engines, Flyonel Big Boys and Y3’s to AF Northerns and PA’, and the usual smaller stuff. Thanks for your input! Ted

Hello, I have seen that on the AF website there is information about compatibility of the 2-8-8-2 Y3 LEGACY with DCC from a 2013 addendum https://www.lionelsupport.com/Support%20Service%20Documents/6579748180251AF2882DCCAddendum.pdf and running at video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en29Sx9Glog Is anyone working in DCC with this motor and AF electronics? I know that the new models have that compatibility but I would like add that option to my motors Regards Jose

Group, I have some hi-rail wheelset for sale Qty 14 axles with Hi-rail wheelset . QTY 4 axles with 40" hi-rail wheel sets with "D" bearings non geared QTY 3 40" geared wheelsets with square bearings. Asking $30 including shipping to the lower 48 states Contact me off list at edsauers@... Thanks Ed

My interests and projects are likely very different than most here. I had history of my not being able to get my first Lionel “DCC compatible” loco to run on DCC. I sent it back to Lionel – they got it running. It took a few years before I dove in and bought another loco. Then there was the staring down at the abyss moment with wire cutters in hand about to chop everything out down to the truck feeder wires. I dove in and did not look back. My biggest issue was Lionel and MTH mostly ignoring the NMRA DCC standards and doing their own thing. If I have hesitation or real issues about getting my brand new to me loco to RUN after having well over 100 S Scale DCC installations something is big time wrong, and not with me. I will NOT buy into something that is single source supplier. DCC offers many companies to get decodes from. I will do what is needed to fix it for me. I am about ½ way through converting my ES44 and SD70 collection to DCC only after removing everything Lionel. Thank You, Bill Lane Modeling the Mighty Pennsy, PRSL & Reading in 1957 in S Scale since 1987 See my finished models at: http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Models.htm Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! See my layout progress at: http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Layout.htm Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society It's FREE to join! http://www.prslhs.com Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL Virus-free. www.avg.com

all issues from 1990-2019 in excellent condition, a total of 180 issue. $100 plus shipping.

Troops, Looking for an American Models C of G E8 Please contact off line. John Griffin rxman46321@...

Looking for an American Models C of G E8 Please contact office line. John Griffin rxman46321@...

Good Afternoon, I am trying to locate the 4 issues of the S gaugian magazine for 2019 as my copies were lost during a long distance moving trip. If anyone would have them available for sale please respond off-list. Thank You. John Keating

Hello, Does anyone have a set of scale wheelsets for an SHS switcher they are willing to part with? Thank you Jeff J Michigan

Good Afternoon, I have a Miller S-2 Switcher that has white blotches similar to the crud that shows up on AF cars. Does anyone have a similar experience and any info on dealing with the problem.

Has anyone else run into this same issue. I have purchased from two different vendors, unrelated to each other and from opposite ends of the country, an American Flyer by Lionel Fundimensions 4-9703 Boston & Maine Box Car part of American Historical Railroad 2. On both of these I have found the four axles to have one plastic wheel and one blackened metal wheel, the kind that were used for illuminated and action cars. These are in the sintered iron side frame trucks like the ones used by Gilbert. I returned one for a refund and just received the second one today only to find the same exact problem. My temporary fix was to place all four metal wheels on the same side (base rail) to eliminate the short circuit until I can get replacement axles and wheels. Mike Cronin

For sale: DCC engines & Lionel Flyer Northern Pacific streamliner set Complete Lionel Flyer 49602 Northern Pacific streamliner set, plus the add-on 48117 PB Unit, 48924 Vista Dome, and 48925 Coach cars as shown on my website: thegilbertgallery.org/Passenger%20Gallery/Northern_Pacific_train.html Everything is in C-8 like new condition; the wheels indicate it has been run but very little. The engine runs great and all the lights work. Instructions are included. All the knuckle couplers work great except the one on the front of the powered PA unit and one on the 48924 Vista Dome; those two work but don't pop open. The horn and rail sounds on the 48117 PB Unit don't work; probably just a broken wire but I haven't had time to open it up and check. The boxes are in P-9 condition except for the PA set box which is P-7. Greenberg book value is $805, allowing 10% off for Like New condition as recommended in the TM Guide. Make offer. Also, the American Models Southern Crescent set has not yet sold. Asking $525. Make offer. And I still have a lot of DCC engines from MTH, American Models, Lionel Flyer, and Gilbert Flyer with SNS can motors. Pictures available on request. Make offer. MTH 35-20019-1 Santa Fe F3 Diesel A-Unit #1: DCC with Proto-Sound 3.0. Scale wheels and Kadee couplers. Traction bands, High-Rail wheels, and Flyer-compatible couplers are included. C-8 condition in P-8 box with all original packaging. 2023 Greenberg says $380, so I figure it's worth $340 adjusted for condition. MTH 35-20019-1 Santa Fe F3 Diesel A-Unit #2: DCC with Proto-Sound 3.0. High-Rail wheels and Flyer-compatible couplers. Four scale wheelsets included. C-7 condition in P-8 box with all original packaging. $250 Two MTH 35-20023-3 Santa Fe F3 Diesel B-Units: Non-Powered. High-Rail wheels and Flyer-compatible couplers. Four scale wheelsets included. C-8 condition in P-8 box with all original packaging. $170 each AM GP35011AC Union Pacific GP35 #763 converted to Tsunami DCC with "keep alive" capacitor; C-6; $250 Two AM FP7008? UP FP-7s #1498 and #1499 converted to Tsunami DCC; C-7 excellent condition; $290 each Lionel Flyer 48035 Santa Fe Baldwin converted to DCC; C-7; $185 Gilbert Flyer 4713 Santa Fe Alco ABA set converted to can motors and Tsunami DCC with "keep alive" capacitor; C-5/C-6; $400 Gilbert Flyer 332 Union Pacific Northern locomotive converted to can motor and Blunami BLU-2200 with Soundtracks Current Keeper II; C-7 Excellent condition; $440 Gilbert Flyer 302 Atlantic locomotive converted to can motor and DCC; unlettered LBR tender body on Gilbert sheet metal chassis with S Helper trucks; no coupler; C-6/C-7 condition; $175 Gilbert Flyer 283 Pacific locomotive converted to can motor and DCC; C-6 condition; $150 LBR-customized Gilbert Casey Jones locomotive and tender lettered Pennsylvania #1367; converted to can motor & DCC; S-Helper trucks & coupler; C-6/C-7; $150 LBR-customized Gilbert Atlantic; customized plastic tender with Gilbert solid knuckle coupler trucks; custom painted gray and lettered Union Pacific #635; converted to can motor & DCC; C-6/C-7; asking $200 Gilbert Flyer 312 Pennsylvania Pacific converted to can motor & DCC; C-6/C-7; asking $200 I also have a FlyerChief 44021 Nickel Plate Berkshire, C-8 condition in a P-8 box at $330. And a Lionel Flyer 44125 C & O Legacy Berkshire Locomotive, C-10 condition in a P-10 box at $600. And a stable full of conventional Gilbert AC engines listed on my website: thegilbertgallery.org/For%20Sale%20Pages/for_sale_S_Scale_engines.html Bob Graves

I have only used decals on HO equipment so I am familiar with the manufacturers for these. I am looking for recommendations for S scale decal manufacturers for the below colors to apply to the side of the walkways of my GP-7's: A.C. Gilbert EMD GP-7 370 & 371 Silver White "F" for short hood. A.C. Gilbert EMD GP-7 374 & 375 Black & Orange White "F" for short hood. AF by Lionel BM GP-7 8350 "Bluebird" blue, black &white White "F" for the short hood. FlyerChief BM GP-7 1567 "Minuteman" Maroon & Deluxe Yellow Deluxe Yellow "F" for the short hood. FlyerChief GN GP-7 601 "Empire" Omaha Orange,Pullman Green, Gold stripe White "F" for the long hood. None of these locomotives have the letter "F" installed designating the front of the locomotive on them. Thanks Mike Cronin

I'm handling this for a friend whose father was an early adopter: this is set number 2! Brand new in the original box. The only time the engine has been run was when he brought it in to the train club to make sure it runs. It was only tested, not run around the layout. This is the AC version with chug, smoke, whistle, and bell. Asking $525 plus shipping. Make offer and I'll pass it along to Paul for him to make final arrangements with you. Pictures available on request. Bob Graves